Buddhist monk chant

You may not be able to dine or live like a billionaire, but you can read like one. On Monday, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates shared his annual list of five books he loved over the past year with a post and video on his Gates Notes blog.And there's a bonus if you're looking for holiday gift ideas. "I usually don't consider whether something would make a good present when I'm putting together my end-of-year book list," Gates says, "but this year's selections are highly giftable." Teach your children wellGates' first pick is the highly acclaimed Educated, by Tara Westover. You may have heard about Westover's highly unusual childhood. Raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho by parents who believed doomsday was around the bend, she didn't step foot inside a classroom until she was 17. Yet she taught herself well enough that she got into Brigham Young University and earned a doctorate in intellectual history from the prestigious Cambridge University. More … [Read more...] about Bill Gates reveals his 5 favorite books of 2018

In Thai weddings, much of the pageantry focuses on the groom instead of the lovely bride. iStockphoto People from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds live together in Thailand, a country so friendly it is known as the "Land of Smiles." Due to its historical and geographical position as a crossroad, this country's population is ethnically diverse, with many Thais coming from Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, Laotian, Burmese, Cambodian and other backgrounds. While most of the people in Thailand practice Buddhism, there is also a sizeable Muslim population, in addition to Christians, Hindus and others. Over the years, Thai people have borrowed bits and pieces from each other's practices and backgrounds to create new cultural and social traditions. Napha Phyakul Quach's wedding reflects some of Thailand's ethnic and cultural mix. She was married by an imam in a Muslim ceremony and wore her Indonesian mother's wedding dress -- a batik sarong. Her husband, who is Chinese, wore a … [Read more...] about Thai Weddings